African American club has Black History Month plans

Malik Williams, 16, along with the Sanctuary Choir at Union Missionary Baptist Church sang at the African American Club of Pasco’s Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebration. The AAC will have a full schedule of events for Black History Month, in February. DAYLINA MILLER/STAFF

PORT RICHEY — On Feb. 1, right after the February meeting of the African American Club of Pasco, the club will stage the first of seven public events during Black History Month.

“A Salute to Our Veterans” begins at 1:15 p.m. at the former Booker T. Washington School, 6105 Pine Hill Road. This is the first time the AAC will have a monthlong schedule of activities for Black History Month, which has been designated each February by every U.S. president since 1976.

Black History Month grew out of “Negro History Week,” started in 1926 by historian Carter G. Woodson and the Rev. Jesse E. Moorland, who founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, an organization that researched and promoted achievements by black Americans and other peoples of African descent.

Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating black history.

The keynote speaker at the ACC’s veterans event will be Lt. Col. Derrick Baxter of MacDill’s Central Command and Chester McKay of the VFW Post 7987 will lead the presentation of colors and “Pledge of Allegiance” under the command of Capt. Dennis “Indian” Schweitzerr.

The Gulf High Junior ROTC Naval Cadets led by Commander McGuire will present a brief biography of AAC member’s military service and a photo of each member’s in uniform. Officers and members of American Legion Paradise Post 79, the Marine Corps League, and Chester McKay VFW Post will participate.

The Rev. Nathaniel Sims of the St. Paul’s Missionary Baptist Church in Dade City and president of the Pasco Chapter of the NAACP will perform the religious ceremony.

Among the individuals to be honored are:

• Maj. Al Cave, U.S. Army, who joined the segregated military in 1947, serving in several places including Vietnam.

• Gunnery Sgt. Horace Lazier, who served in the 9th Marines and was wounded several times in Vietnam.

• Capt. Dan Callaghan, who helped form the 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade with units in Okinawa, Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam and also served as an A-Team Commander in the Army National Guard’s 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne),

Others honored will be AAC president Darryll Stevenson, who served in the first Gulf War, and PFC Terry Kline, who served in the 26th Marines in Vietnam, fighting against North Vietnamese troops.

“The significant contribution of African Americans in all our conflicts from Crispus Attucks to General Colin Powell despite a lack of freedom in the homeland for most of that history is a tribute to their strength, their patriotism, and their hope in a better future,” the African American Club wrote in its press release.

Other events throughout the month include a film series at the New Port Richey Public Library, a book club discussion of Marvin Dunn’s “The Beast in Florida: a History of Anti-Black Violence,” presentations at the West Pasco Historical Society on the Civil Rights movementand a scholarship dinner on Feb. 22.

For more information and a full schedule of events, contact ACC President Darryll Stevenson Sr. at (727) 495-3206 or the club’s corresponding secretary, Dan Callaghan at (727) 372-1742.